Preventing illegal distribution of copy protected content

Abstract

Method and devices are directed to invention is directed towards analyzing packets on-the-fly for pirated content. Packets are intercepted and analyzed to determine if the packets include media content. If media content is detected, a comparator determines a fingerprint associated with the media content. The comparator then compares the determined fingerprint to other fingerprints within a data store. If a match is found, forensic information may be collected. Piracy detection responses may also be performed, including: blocking transmission of the media content, providing a piracy alert message, degrading a quality of the media content, or including within the media content a watermark and/or fingerprint. In one embodiment, the packet analysis and the comparator may reside within a same or different device within a path between a source device and a destination device to enable piracy detection to be performed in real-time.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] The present application claims benefit of provisional application Ser. No. 60 / 706,492 entitled “Method To Prevent Illegal Distribution Of Copy Protected Content,” filed on Aug. 8, 2005, the benefit of the earlier filing date of which is hereby claimed under 35 U.S.C. § 119 (e) and 37 C.F.R. §1.78, and which is further incorporated by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates generally to digital copy protection and more particularly, but not exclusively, to employing unique identifiers to detect and / or deter illegal distribution of selected digital content. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Recent advances in the telecommunications and electronics industry, and, in particular, improvements in digital compression techniques, networking, and hard drive capacities have led to growth in new digital services to a user's home. For example, such advances have provided hundreds of cable television channels to users ...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

While the video-on-demand market stream provides new opportunity for profits to content owners, it also creates a tremendous risk for piracy of the content.

Such risk for piracy may arise at any place in the market stream that the content is exposed.

For example, such piracy may arise when the end-user attempts to redistribute the content to another end-user improperly.

Without appropriate protection, the content can be illicitly copied, and redistributed, thus depriving content owners of their profits.

Furthermore, the content owner is often unable to determine where in the market stream the content was used in an unauthorized manner.

Without a way of determining where a security breach arose, the content owner may be unable to take appropriate action to minimize further piracy.

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